Ipsen acquired Albireo Pharma for $952 million, the company announced Monday morning. The deal comes with Ipsen gaining access to Albireo’s liver disease drug Bylvay, which is currently approved in the U.S. and EU for treating pruritus in patients with progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis. (Endpoints News)
The Supreme Court rebuffed Pfizer’s plan to help patients pay for heart medication. The justices took up Pfizer’s appeal of a lower court’s ruling that agreed with the government’s view that the company’s proposal to directly cover cost-sharing co-payments required of patients to use its Vyndaqel and Vyndamax drugs could violate a federal law called the Anti-Kickback Statute. (Reuters)
Teva Pharmaceutical said 48 states have agreed to its $4.25 billion opioid settlement. The settlement resolves claims and litigation by states, cities, counties, and other subdivisions in the U.S. (Seeking Alpha)
A COVID-19 variant known as XBB.1.5 has made its way through the U.S., quickly becoming the dominant strain in some areas. The World Health Organization noted this new variant is “the most transmissible” version of the Omicron variant. (The Washington Post)
Animal tranquilizer xylazine – also known as “tranq” or “zombie drug” – has been mixed with fentanyl in drug hot spots, exacerbating the overdose crisis. Xylazine is now being found in 25% of drug samples in New York City, but it’s also made its way across at least 36 states, according to a study last year. (The New York Times)
